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Micromag Restoration Story

So I bought a Micromag off a guy here on AO and before I sent the money he informed me that it had been spray painted black. I was a little frustrated cause I thought I was buying an annoed black Micromag. Well after some negotiations I was able to get a better price for an already great gun. Once I got it I found that the anno under the spray paint was original blue/purple splash just like the barrel and benchmark trigger frame the seller included. Well $10 later I have the body in a pool of spray paint stripper letting is soak overnight. After some washing and cleaning my hopes melted away like the spray paint. The previous owner had used sandpaper or something to try and "scratch" away the anno. My only thought was that he was trying to make it more "scenario" by trying to rid the body of it's cool "speedball" anodizing paint job. Who knows and regardless I have myself a sad little micromag in much need of a new paint job. Unfortunately I really don't have the money to fully restore the body back to her glorious factory anno, but I do plan to get her taken care of one way or another.

Here she sits as is:

I am sure this thread will fade away, but once I have her all cleaned up I'll update the pictures.

I painted my classic before I sold it years ago. Granted it was base color from the factory, but I had painted it a flat black to let me sneak around the woods a bit more. But paint on an anodized mag is a crime.

You may be able to buff out the scratches, but it take a lot of time, patience, and the correct polishing compounds.

Corking up bodies is a bit different thank this. I don't have one in front of me , but from my understanding it's not something you can just mask off. You actually have to get it pressed out and then back in. FrizzleFry or RobertSr may have more info. If it was me, I would probably just sell off the original ano parts and just get the body powder coated. It would probably cost a couple of hundred dollars to get the ano replicated and you'd never recoup.

Opbn. That's kinda what I was thinking as far as the body and anno. Thats why I said ultimately to talk to his anodiser of choice and see if they wanted to mess with it. Good call on the powder. Lot cheaper and easier to clean that body up with powder than polishing it up for anno.

I know right! They think it's going to help up the resale value or something. I was even more interested in buying this micro because he said it was spray painted and I was pretty sure I could get the paint off... which I did, but he didn't say it was all scratched up. A little part of my automag soul die when I pulled it out of the paint stripper.

Originally Posted by OPBN

Even if they offer to repaint it any color you want???

LOL Sometimes I wanted to make them re-paint it just as a punishment for spray painting it in the first place.

Originally Posted by C_losjoker

Dude, seriously. Just post up for a trade. I am sure tons would have traded a flat black to have kept this beauty like she was. And why do that to the body but keep the barrel and frame original.

I bought it with a black I-Frame and spray painted J&J Ceramic barrel that was meant to match the body, but was chipping really bad. I still need to strip the paint off the barrel. I didn't see the original grip frame or barrel until I unpacked the box. It was a pleasant surprise and made me excited to see the inside of the body had the same anno.

Originally Posted by OPBN

If it was me, I would probably just sell off the original ano parts and just get the body powder coated. It would probably cost a couple of hundred dollars to get the ano replicated and you'd never recoup.

I don't plan to anodize it the same as the trigger frame or barrel cause I don't have the money to do that. I was thinking of powder coating it because of the steel ring inside and because of the cost. I'm still up in the air with what I'm going to do with it. I might just get a few sharpy markers and color it in.